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POLITICO 44

The top Republican on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee says the Obama administration may have broken the law by offering Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) a job in order to persuade him not to mount a primary challenge against Sen. Arlen Specter.

Sestak has said that the administration offered him a high-ranking government job if he’d stay out of the race. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs has been asked repeatedly about the accusation in recent weeks but so far has neither confirmed nor denied that a job was offered.

But in a letter to White House general counsel Robert Bauer Wednesday, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) said that, if Sestak’s allegation is true, administration officials may have violated a federal statute which makes it a crime for a government employee to use his authority “for the purpose of interfering with, or affecting, the nomination or the election of any candidate” for certain offices, including Senate seats.

"While the White House may think this is politics as usual, what is spectacularly unusual is when a candidate — a U.S. congressman no less — freely acknowledges such a proposal,” Issa wrote. “Almost always candidates keep quiet about such deals, and for good reason — they are against the law."

2. At any time, did White House deputy chief of staff Jim Messina have communications with Rep. Sestak about the 2010 race for the United States Senate? Identify the communications.

3. At any time, did any official within the White House Office of Political Affairs have communications with Rep. Sestak about the 2010 race for the United States Senate? Identify the political officials and the communications.

4. Identify any other individuals at the White House that had communications with Rep. Sestak about his bid for the United States Senate. For each individual, identify the communications.

5. What position(s) was (were) Rep. Sestak offered in exchange for his commitment to leave the Senate race?

6. Following Rep. Sestak’s disclosure that he was offered a position in the president’s administration in exchange for bowing out of the 2010 race for the United States Senate, what, if any, investigation did your office undertake to determine whether the criminal activity described by Rep. Sestak occurred?

7. Do you expect to make a referral to the United States Department of Justice in this matter? When should we expect this referral?

Sestak first made the accusation during a television interview in early February, and he repeated it when asked about it during an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” this week.

Asked about the allegation Tuesday, Gibbs said: “ I don't have the update with me, but let me check and see if I do have anything.”

This Attorney general will not investigate and the American people must demand, and the media must demand an independent prosecutor. Gibbs has been asked by Jake Tapper at least 3 weeks ago and he said the same thing. Sestak will not talk unless it's to a Grand Jury or a special prosecutor. It's time to hold this administration accountable to the law!!!!

Robert Gibbs has a pretty tough job. Could you imagine trying to keep all these lies and back room deals quite? Having to face the W.H Press Corp. every day, knowing the Ring Master has lost control of all his clowns and the tent is starting to fall on top of this CIRCUS!!!!!!

I really don't care. What I care about is Issa trying to make a name for himself. I'm from his area and let me tell you ISSA is who financed the recall and backed Arnold Swartzenegger as our GOV. For that I will NEVER forgive Issa! Talk about making back room deals!

I am sure that Mr. Holder will get right on this...........right after he is sure that all the incarcerated terrorists are comfortable and have the proper legal representation and also that there are not any civil rights violations going on in our country's schools, of course.

This is pretty much classic Chicago style politics. I'm betting that more than a few billion of the "stimulus" ended up going to ghost payrollers, and not just ghost congressional districts like the 18th congressional district in Arizona.